Well, it is that time of year again. Time for the rolling out of baseball franchises, all hoping to be this year's MVP. All-Star Baseball 2005, Acclaim's team in the running has typically offered a solid game. In fact, except for a few changes -- both minor and not-so-minor -- this is the same game from last year.

All-Star Baseball 2005's presentation serves up all the goods from last year -- both the good and the bad. Stadiums are clearly the most impressive aspect of the package. Everything you remember from your favorite parks is present right down to the last details. Player models also look good, but suffer from stiff animations with choppy transitions between them. Watching some players go from one animation to another is very robotic and detracts from the realism. This is especially noticeable when the game centers in on players when the FielderCam is in play. A definite lack of personality is also noticeable. Nearly every player stands in the same batting position, completely ignoring the subtle quirks in certain players. It is something that can easily be overlooked, but hardcore fans will notice. Fans should also notice some really cool things as well like the batter's reaction after being fooled at the plate and the pitcher falling down in disbelief after giving up too many home runs.

Sound is good, but lacks in consistency. There are times where the crowd will really get into the game, like when you smash one out of the park. However, this excitement doesn't carry over to the next batter. Now, I go to at least one (college) baseball game a week and can tell you that's not how it sounds. Again, easy to overlook, but the hardcore fans will notice.

Features, features, features -- that's the name of the game in All-Star Baseball 2005. Some of them are welcome additions and help the game along and others are too gimmicky and add little to the experience.

Take, for example, the Create-a-Team option. I can't tell you how long I've waited for this feature in a baseball game. So, as you can imagine, I was jacked when I saw that it was offered in this year's edition. Imagine my dismay when I got into the feature and found out just how limiting it was. Create-a-Team options are usually about creativity and the option to name your team anything and have them play wherever you want. This really isn't the case in All-Star 2005. You're given a handful of mascots and a short list of cities to choose from. While this is good enough for most players, I was really expecting to be able to do more with the feature.

There is still some good to be found in ASB 2005. The Franchise mode is very, very deep and will keep you busy for a very long time. You can improve your team during Spring Training and improve them by completing in game goals. After completing certain tasks, like so many strike outs with one pitcher, you can earn points to put towards making your team better. The harder the goal you complete, the more points you earn. You can also call up players from the minors, sign free agents (or create them) and trade for other players. You can even participate in the business side of things by attending the Winter Meetings and managing your team's finances. This option goes beyond player salaries and includes managing how much money you're putting into medical and training facilities.

Other modes, which include all of the baseball standards like Home Run Derby and Quick Play, include the This Week in Baseball mode where you try to recreate, or change, some of the most memorable scenes from the 2003 season, including the now infamous Cubs incident. A Pick-Up game option is also available, which grabs a handful of players and lets you put them on your team for a quick game.

All-Star Baseball 2005 offers a decent challenge. The game never feels too hard or too easy. However, there are aspects of the game that can, and will, make it feel harder than it should at times. The biggest is the FielderCam feature, which is way too disorienting and flawed at times to be of any use. However, this is also off-set by an easy to use pitching system and a customizable batting system.

Also falling under the gimmicky banner is the FielderCam, which is possibly one of the most well-intentioned failures to hit sports games in awhile. Fielding has always been a source of problems, at least for me, in baseball games. FielderCam tries to remedy the problem, but falls flat. After the ball is hit, the camera quickly focuses on the area the ball is headed. A giant red circle then appears on the field and you have to get a player to the middle of the circle before the ball does. It sounds better than it works. The quick camera switch can really throw you off and it is hard to quickly orient yourself to where the ball is going and when. On top of that, there are a few times where the wrong player will be chosen. There could be two guys in the same zone and the camera will choose to focus on the player farthest from where the play should be made, which will result in some missed plays and bobbled balls. An option to switch to the normal mode from last year is offered, but a few of the game modes force you to use the feature, so you might as well get used to it.

Pitching and batting are handled really well. The pitching interface is easily one of the best around and allows you to see everything that is going on around you. Selecting pitches is also so easy to use and well handled that I kept wondering if I was missing something. Its one of those rare systems where it works out so well that you think you should be putting more effort into it. Multiple batting options are also included, ranging from one that requires you to time the button press correctly to another that gives you control over every aspect of your swing.

All-Star Baseball 2005 is more about the features that anything else. While it offers up a great game of baseball, the experience is marred by the very features it touts.